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| Sunday, 7 March 2004 |
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Only SLFP recognised Malays by Saybhan Samat Neither the UNF government nor the previous PA government has recognised the Malays of Sri Lanka as a seperate ethnic group. Only the SLFP government recognised Malays as a seperate ethnic group and nominated Dr. M. P. Drahaman and Mr. Zahir Lye in 1956 and 1961 as appointed members of Parliament to represent the Malays of Sri Lanka. All other governments after that have totally ignored the Malays of Sri Lanka as a seperate ethnic group with its own cultural identity derived from Malaysia, Java and Indonesia. The Malays who were originally Hindus, then Buddhists later became Muslims and they are co-religionists with the Sri Lankan Moors who are of Arab descent. In the latter part of the 13th century a Javanese kingdom prevailed in Jaffna. The Javanese Kingdom was ruled by a Malay Buddhist king named Chandra Banu. In fact the early Malays were firstly followers of Hinduism, later they became Buddhists and still later embraced Islam. There are enough and more Buddhist relics, temples and Buddhist culture among the present day Malay Muslims of Malaysia and Indonesia. Malay Muslims respect all religions and are very tolerant with other co-religionists of the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Malays in Malaysia and Indonesia. The Javanese kingdom which extended from Jaffna to Hambantota flourished during the time of king Chandra Banu, a Malay Buddhist King He reigned for 50 years - remembered by place names as Jaffna or Java Patanam and Chavakachcheri as Chavan-Kottai. Javanese trading vessels called on Sampan-Tota now known as Hambantota on their way to Madagascar and the African Coast line ports. Professor Paranavitarane has been very firm in the view that certain stone inscriptions show that the rulers of the Kalinga dynasty in the Polonnaruwa kingdom were from the Malay archipelago and his analysis of the Malay rule in Sri Lanka confirms this view. Some of the descendets of Malays of Jaffna settled down in the island. When the Dutch and the British invaded Sri Lanka, some of the Malay descendants who remained in the island were recruited in the 18th century to the Dutch and British Malay regiments. The Malay regiment has the proud distinction of being the first Asians to receive the king's colours. When in 1873 the regiment was disbanded, the men were found employment in other military units, police and prison services, the Colombo Fire Brigade, estates and salterns of Hambantota. In the next 3 decades the Malays had reached the pinnacle of fame and fortune. Profoundly following the Islamic faith: 75% of the police force, 90% of the prison services and 100% of the Colombo Fire Brigade were all Malays. The Malays were well known for their valour and bravery. Colombo's main mosque - the Grand Mosque contains the shrine of the Malay saint Tuan Bagoos Balankaya and was designed and built by the Javanese architect Mohammed Balankaya. He was the son of Hooloo Balankaya, minister of the Rajah of Goa Maas Makontha Ranthay Pathola Mohammed Sahabudeen who along with other princes and Noblemen and their families were exiled to Sri Lanka by the Dutch in 1723. Other notable and well-known Malay saint shrines are those of Tuan Tunku Pangeran and Tuan Dane Bagoos at the mosque at Peer Saibo Street at Hulftsdorp and Tuan Hussien at the Line Mosque near the Bogambara prison in Kandy. When I visited Kandy a couple of months ago I observed that the shrine of Tuan Hussien had got a new facelift, after being neglected for a long time. With all this rich heritage present governments so far have refused to appoint a Malay to parliament to look after the interests of this small ethnic minority they have contributed so much to the national welfare of this nation. Two other stalwart Malays were Mr. T. B. Jayah, a UNP member of the Muslim League and Justice Akbar who was also a very saintly person. This writer hopes and prays that after this forthcoming election who ever wins will be gracious to appoint a suitable Malay to parliament or include Malays in their national lists. If this is not done small though the Malay community, they will be compelled to form a Malay political party. Since the Malays were Buddhists earlier, many Sinhalese Buddhists who are very fond of the Malays are bound to vote for a Malay because of their integrity, loyalty, piety and patriotism. Malays have a reputation not to double-speak. |
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